


To Help a Stranger

by aJemOfTime



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Adventure, Dan Howell Is Not A Youtuber, Existential Crisis, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gen, Helping, Minor Swearing, Support, Time Travel, platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-01 15:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13297566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aJemOfTime/pseuds/aJemOfTime
Summary: Phil Lester was alone. He had no motivation to continue making videos. Until a certain time-travelling Daniel Howell popped into his childhood life.





	1. Lack of Motivation

**Author's Note:**

> Please note: Dan and Phil are the same age in this story for the sake of having the plot work. I have also changed a bit of the history of Dan and Phil, again for the story to work (this shouldn't be surprising, as it is a fanfiction)! Thanks!

It was the year Daniel Howell had started university, and he was terrified of everyone. He already hated social interaction enough, but now he needed to do it in order to eat, relax and learn. In those few moments of calm where he was able to sit alone on his couch in his dormitory, Dan loved to just search random things on the internet. He was obsessed with watching YouTube. On one day in a week in March, the student found a channel called _AmazingPhil,_ and this new finding changed his life. Literally. Phil Lester became his favourite YouTuber, and he would binge watch his videos every single day.

Several years later, Dan sat down on his bed, placing his glass of water and small pizza on his bedside table. The mattress sunk heavily as his weight overwhelmed it, and Dan sighed. Everything in this apartment was so old!  
Shaking his head in annoyance, Dan picked up his laptop and began to pointlessly scroll through his social media accounts. There was literally nothing interesting on the webpages, so Dan closed them, taking a large bite out of his pizza slice.   
The brown-haired man decided to see what was on the news. He took his remote and flicked a button to turn on the television. A red-haired woman was talking to the camera.   
“Breaking news: A prototype of a time machine has been created in a science laboratory. The lab in question’s location is unknown so that no one comes to investigate this remarkable machine, but be rest assured that soon, you may be able to own your very own time travelling device.”

This sparked Dan’s interest. A time machine! Imagine all of the possible things he could do with such a device! He could stop himself from doing all of those irritating and annoying things that he had done as a child! He could tell his younger self that everything was going to be okay, and that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. Dan knew that he had to be one of the first people to get his hands on one of those legendary objects. The man did not brood over this too much; the time machine was just a prototype and not ready for sale yet, so there was no need to worry or think about it just yet.

As the excitement of the time machine’s creation was dying down, Daniel quickly became bored again. He brushed his curly brown hair out of his face and tried to think of something productive to do. When no ideas came, Dan decided to scroll through his Twitter feed. There appeared to be some drama or something going on, as everyone was simply screaming. Confused, Dan replied to someone, asking them what was happening. Their reply was instantaneous.  
_“Look at Phil’s most recent video_. _”_  
Dan was startled. AmazingPhil, his favourite YouTuber with over six million subscribers, never caused drama. That was one of the reasons why Daniel liked him so much. Curious, and also slightly worried, Dan went to Phil’s YouTube channel and saw that he had posted a video approximately an hour ago, titled _Bye, Guys_. A shiver went through Dan’s spine and his heart skipped a beat as, with a trembling hand, he clicked on the video.

 _“Hey, guys_ , _”_ Phil said, seemingly more reserved and quiet than usual. His wave to the camera was unenthusiastic, and he didn’t even bother to try smiling. _“I never wanted this day to come, and I’ve kept putting it off for nearly six months now, but I need to quit YouTube_. _”_

“No.” Dan paused the video, shaking violently. This had to be a dream. Phil couldn’t be quitting YouTube. It was his job. It would be absurd for him to stop. Closing his eyes tightly, Dan continued watching the video.

 _“I’m so sorry that this needs to happen, but I have no motivation for my videos. I’ve been living alone in this apartment for so many years, and my family lives on the other side of the country. I don’t have anyone to physically support me, and for the past few months, my videos have just seemed so forced. I don’t want to keep my videos like this, and I honestly don’t see any more progression for this channel. I would like to try and do a, well, a…_ normal _job, if you get what I mean. Once again, I really do apologise, but this channel has lived its life, and now it is time for it to end. I cannot say sorry enough times, but this is the final video on_ AmazingPhil. _Bye, guys.”_ Phil waved at the camera, a few tears rolling down his cheeks, and he pressed his hand against the lens, ending the video.

Dan sat in silence. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t believe it. Tears were streaming from his eyes, and he wasn’t even trying to stop them. Dan had no idea that Phil was feeling that alone and uninspired. Phil Lester didn’t deserve to feel that way. Daniel needed to do something. But, what?  
Suddenly, Dan had a revelation. What if he somehow managed to get his hands on the time machine and make himself a part of Phil’s life in the past? What if he was able to become the motivation that AmazingPhil needed to continue making videos? Could this work?  
Dan was now shaking from excitement. How would he get the machine? It wasn’t like he was extremely rich, and it probably would not go on sale for many years. Dan could definitely not wait that long, which meant that he had two options: locate the secret lab and steal the time machine, or make his own. The latter option was out of the question, as he would have no idea where to start, therefore he would have to go with the former. Dan realised that, somehow, he would need to break into a top security secret laboratory and navigate it. That wasn’t even including learning how to control the time machine. It was going to be a difficult task, but it was the only job Dan had, and it was not impossible. He took a deep breath. Dan was determined to help out Phil Lester, the man he had idolised for years.


	2. Escape with the Machine

Dan picked up his computer and a bag to carry any books or articles that he might need to take, and ran down the stairs towards the front door of his apartment. He stepped outside and, after about five minutes, was able to wave down a taxi. Dan asked the driver to take him to the nearest library, and off they went.  
When they arrived, the brown-haired man paid the taxi driver, strode out of the car and through the doors of the enormous library. Books were scattered across tables and organised on hundreds of shelves. Articles and papers were placed in cabinets and drawers. Movies were piled in a small section in the far corner of the room’s vast space. Dan began scanning the shelves for anything on time machines, science laboratories, or mysterious places. He found several books and newspapers that had information on these topics, sat down on a beanbag, and proceeded to absorb the words inside of them.

After approximately three hours of searching through papers, books and websites, Dan found something rather interesting in an online article, which was titled _What is Hiding in the Blocked Off Area of Deep Woods?_ It was giving information about an area that was supposedly blocked off in the Deep Woods, which were on the other side of the country. Although there was no proper evidence that this was the place where the secret science laboratory was situated, it was the only idea that Dan had of where to go. It was so important for him to be able to help Phil Lester, his idol and role model. Dan stood up from the beanbag that he had put a large crease in, and headed back home with his newly acquired information.

“I need to travel there,” Dan said to himself decisively. He grabbed his small backpack and put a few items of clothing, his chargers, his wallet and his computer inside it, holding his phone in his left hand. He had already booked a flight to the place closest to where the Deep Woods were, and so now the only thing that he needed to do was arrive there. Then, well, then he’d improvise. Dan exited his house for the second time that day, and travelled by train to Paddington Station, from which he took the Heathrow Express to the airport.

Dan’s anxiety began to rise as he arrived at security. Even though he had nothing dangerous or illegal on him, panic always seemed to bubble inside of him whenever he was there. The man placed his backpack on the trays and walked through the scanner, which, as his rational thought had told him, did not go off. He collected his bag and, avoiding any suspicious looks from security guards, hurried to his gate lounge. Dan sat down on one of the unclean and sticky chairs that filled the packed area. The realisation of what he was about to do suddenly dawned upon him, and his face reddened quickly, understanding how illegal this was. Dan looked down at his phone, trying not to draw any attention to himself, because it felt as though everyone was looking at him. To Dan’s relief, his flight began boarding a few minutes later, and he hurried to his seat, started playing his depressing playlist, and closed his eyes, attempting to calm himself down.

A few hours later, the plane landed. It was a smooth flight, and Dan quickly stood up, collected his luggage, and exited the airport. He did not even bother booking a hotel, as he planned to find the laboratory that same day. Anxiety was flying around in his stomach, causing large amounts of perspiration to form on his body. Dan’s hands felt clammy, and his face was hot and flustered. He realised how little he had actually planned what he was going to do. Dan sighed and told himself that there was no turning back now. He proceeded to walk in the direction of the Deep Woods.

When he arrived, Dan began to search. He had no idea where to begin, so he just wandered around for several hours. Just as Dan was about to give up, he saw an intriguing shape on the ground. Bending down, the brown-haired man realised that it was a wooden arrow pointing to his right.  
“This could be a guide for any employees who have lost their way to the lab,” Dan murmured under his breath. Following the arrow, Dan saw other ones on the plant-covered ground.  
After several minutes, Dan found the place he was searching for. In the middle of a clearing deep within the woods, a large, grey building stood proudly, intimidating Dan greatly. No obvious entrance was present, so Dan took a painful gulp and began to search around the structure, trying to find a door or another way of entering. Suddenly, he spotted a rusted and mossy trapdoor with a heavy padlock on it. Grabbing a rock, Dan easily broke the lock, although this did create a lot of noise. He hoped that no one heard the sound. Carefully, Dan opened the door, which ever so conveniently creaked and groaned as it moved. Wincing with every noise, Dan looked around, before climbing down the trapdoor and closing it behind him, entering the laboratory.

“I’m doing this for Phil, I’m doing this for Phil,” Dan constantly muttered to himself, filling his body with a sort of false hope. How was he meant to find the time machine? And even if he did, wouldn’t there be so much security around it that it would be basically impossible to even reach? Pushing these negative thoughts to the back of his head, Dan traversed through the lab, hiding from any scientists that were working. Following the path, Dan finally saw what he was looking for. The time machine. As expected, security guards surrounded it, but the door to the contraption was open, so he should be able to run in and close it behind him, and then go back in time before anyone caught him. There were so many ifs and buts in this situation, but what other choice did Dan have? 

Bracing himself, Dan took a deep breath, before sprinting at top speed towards the machine. The guards raised their large and threatening-looking weapons, but too slowly. Dan had reached the time machine and had entered it. He slammed the door behind him and locked it, after realising that it could be sealed. Dan felt and heard people banging on the walls, trying to make him get out, but they could do nothing. He turned around and saw a control panel. The man quickly set the time machine back about fifteen years, to Lancashire in England, which was where AmazingPhil grew up. Listening to the harmonious chorus of yells and screams from the workers outside, Dan pressed the GO button, and felt the machine disappear into a new part of time and space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far I've kept to my posting schedule! Let's see if this will continue hahahaha! I'm really excited about the next chapter, so look forward to that next week! Please leave a comment if you want, I really appreciate it!


	3. Childhood Encounters

BAM.  
The time machine thudded to a stop, sending Dan tumbling over. Shaking, he picked himself up and listened for any banging and screaming that meant that the scientists were still outside his door. There was silence. Dan was alone.  
Dan moved to walk out of the machine when he suddenly noticed something. He seemed a lot shorter than usual, and, when he looked at his hands, Dan saw how much smaller they were. His hair seemed longer and, when he opened his phone and looked at the camera, a lot lighter and straighter than what he was used to. Dan groaned. He had aged down to become his thirteen-year-old self.  
“Well, at least it worked,” Dan said to himself, noticing how much higher his voice was. Taking a deep breath, Dan strode outside into the past. 

It was cold. Very cold. Dan noticed how unequipped he was for northern England’s weather. By looking at his phone’s clock, he could tell that it was very early in the morning – 4am to be exact. Clouds were blocking out the sky, trying to keep the smallest amount of heat in this area. Dan shivered, and, breathing mist out of his mouth, began to walk towards the large building in the distance that could only be Phil Lester’s school. Suddenly, a loud crackling noise came from the time machine. Daniel spun around and caught sight of lab coats coming through a strange light. The scientists were tracking down Dan through time and space! Pulling his hood over his face to hide his appearance, Dan turned and sprinted towards the building, trying to disguise himself as well as seek safety. The scientists were using torches. They were searching for him! Dan managed to reach the school, and hid behind a large slide in the playground.

After a few minutes, the scientists gave up their search and instead turned to the time machine. They all went inside it and took it back to when and where it came from.  
“There goes my way out of here,” Dan sighed. Wrapping himself up in his hoodie, he lay on the tanbark of the playground and attempted to go to sleep. Soon, he did. 

“Boy! Who are you? What are you doing here?” a voice yelled, disturbing Dan from his sleep. Blinking drearily, Dan gazed at the angry face looking down on him. She was a grey-haired lady with frown wrinkles scattered over her face. Her eyes were sharp and beady. Obviously thinking that Dan had not heard him, the woman repeated herself, this time a lot louder.  
“Um, I’m Dan. Dan Howell,” Dan said tiredly. “I’m so sorry that I was here, I just didn’t have anywhere to stay.”  
The old lady’s eyes softened.  
“You must be freezing. And hungry. I’ll get the tuckshop to make some food. Come inside.”  
Surprised that the lady was being kind to him, Dan followed her inside the school. A large hallway was the first thing that he saw when they entered the building. He had guessed that it was around 7am, based on what the sky looked like, and a clock that was on the wall supported his estimate. The lady took Dan into a room to the right of the entrance.  
“Sit down,” she commanded. Dan sat on the chair that she gestured at.  
“Thank you,” he said quietly. The woman smiled at him.  
“Now, Dan, as you may have guessed, I am Mrs Wilsinnia, the principal of this school. What brings you here?”  
Dan blinked. He was never good at improvising.   
“I, um, I need to go to this school. My parents told me to.” It was a horrible lie, but Dan could not think of anything else.  
“Hmm.” The lady obviously was slightly skeptical. “Where are your parents?”  
Dan swallowed.  
“They didn’t like me very much, and wanted nothing to do with me, so I decided to run away.” Another terrible lie.  
“Ah. I understand. Well, Mr Howell, I usually do not offer children a place at my school for free and without assessment, but you will be my exception. Would you like to join my school?”  
“Yes,” Dan said without a second of hesitation.  
“Fantastic. You shall start classes today. I’ll make sure that people are here to help you get settled in. Here is your timetable.” Mrs Wilsinnia handed over a sheet of paper to Dan. “And here is your food,” she added as someone came in with a tray of food. Dan took both the food and the paper with a huge smile on his face. 

Several hours later found Dan sitting in the classroom for period one, which was Mathematics. He was the first one in the room, and he started by introducing himself to the maths teacher. Other students gave Dan funny looks as they walked in, as they had never met him before.  
“Class, we have a new student. Please welcome Daniel,” the teacher smiled.  
“Hi, Daniel,” the class chorused.  
“Hi,” Dan said awkwardly, “Uh, you can just call me Dan.”  
A few students nodded, including someone rather familiar. A freckled boy with ginger hair. The person he was looking for. Phil Lester. Dan was sitting in the same room as AmazingPhil. 

It was lunch. Dan had no one to sit with, so he sat by himself at the tuckshop. The boy was getting used to people giving him strange looks by now, and he had decided to simply ignore them.   
“Hey, Daniel!”  
Dan’s head shot up as he saw a few boys walk over to him. They looked just like the typical jocks from the teen drama films. Bullies.  
“Yes?” Dan replied calmly.  
“It’s really so sad that you're sitting here all alone. Does Danny have no friends?” The head of the gang teased.  
“Oh, come on. You are really so insecure that you enjoy bringing other people down? That’s what I find sad,” Dan retorted, still with an annoyingly calm voice. The bullies were getting slightly angry now.  
“You wanna fight?” the leader asked aggressively. Dan chuckled.  
“I’m sorry, but I’m not the fighting sort,” he smiled, bringing back a line that he had said to some gang leaders before.  
The bullies raised their fists threateningly, and were about to punch Daniel, when a voice called, “Stop!”  
Phil Lester was walking over to the boys, glowering at them.  
“It’s his first day, and you want to beat him up? Leave him alone!” he yelled at them.  
By this time, they had attracted quite a crowd of students. The bullies looked at each other, and then turned and strode away proudly. The crowd dispersed. Phil turned to Dan.  
“Are you okay?” he asked. Dan grinned.  
“Yeah, don’t worry, I’ve gone through stuff like this before.”  
“Do you want to eat with me? I don’t have anyone to sit with either. I don’t really have any friends at all, to be perfectly honest,” Phil sighed.  
Dan beamed.  
“I’d love to, Phil.”  
Phil’s smile faltered ever so slightly.  
“How do you know my name?” he questioned.  
Panic rose within Dan.  
“Um, I heard a teacher say your name in class before.”  
Phil laughed.  
“You have a good memory,” he said.  
Dan joined in the laughter.  
“Thank you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually continued to stick to the schedule! I've also started writing a Harry Potter fanfic, so be ready for that soon! I might start it whilst posting these chapters or maybe after I finish this story. Let's wait and see! Please continue to comment, it really means a lot!


	4. The Assignment

It was several days after Dan and Phil had become friends. The principal of the school had allowed Dan to board there, as he had no place to live. Phil had tried to persuade his parents to take the teenager in, but they had refused, saying that they were not able to look after a third child. Dan understood; he didn’t want Phil to do too much for him. His friendship and support were more than enough.  
Phil had told the bullies to leave Dan alone, and for that he was grateful. No one bothered him, so he was able to eat and go to classes with Phil without anyone disrupting him.  
Over the past few days, Dan had learnt a lot about Phil, which he hadn’t even known from his videos. Every time Phil brought up Dan’s past, Dan managed to avoid the subject by quickly changing the topic or answering the question with another question. Phil had begun to realise what his friend was doing, but did not say anything.

Dan and Phil were heading to class, each holding the textbooks and stationery that they needed for the lesson in their arms. They walked in silence, not needing to speak, simply comfortable in their presence. When they arrived in the classroom, they took their usual seats in the back of the room, and the English class began. The teacher began to talk.  
“Now, class, you are going to be giving oral presentations to your peers, analysing the book that we have been working on for the past week. You will need to make a poster, as well as prepare a memorised speech. You’ll work in partners, and will present in two weeks. Although there will be time in class for you to complete this task, you will probably need to work outside of school, too.”  
The class did a collective groan. Phil leaned over to Dan.  
“Why doesn’t the teacher just give us more time to do it in class? We do actually have lives, you know,” he whispered.  
“Well, I mean, I don’t have a life, but that’s not the point!” Dan chuckled. “I take it we’re partners?”  
“Of course!” Phil smiled.  
“I’m a bit nervous, though. I'm never good at speeches or presentations,” Dan admitted. Phil patted his shoulder.  
“Me too. But it’ll be alright.” 

That lunchtime, Dan and Phil sat together on the lawn. The jocks were all playing football aggressively, and the younger children were playing with skipping ropes. No one came up to them, and they were able to talk about anything without judgment.  
“So, what do you want your job to be?” Dan asked Phil.  
“I’d love to be on the media. I know it sounds rather ambitious and relatively hard, but it’s always been my dream,” Phil said.  
“That’s a great idea!” Dan grinned.  
“Yeah, but I'm probably not going to be able to do it. It’s just too difficult,” Phil sighed sadly. Dan reached over and gripped his arm.  
“You will do it one day. I know it. Trust me,” he said confidently, looking at the teenager straight in the eyes. Phil smiled, unconvinced.  
“Thanks for saying so, Dan. I hope it happens.”

It was a week later, and Dan and Phil realised that they needed to get together outside of school to finish their English project. Dan was to go over to Phil’s house that afternoon.  
“I'm slightly anxious – I don’t like meeting new people that much. What if your parents don’t like me?” Dan questioned, rather stressed.  
“You have nothing to worry about, Dan. My parents are really nice to any of my friends. It’ll be okay,” Phil reassured him. 

The bell rang, symbolising the end of the school day, and Dan followed Phil to his parents’ car. Dan greeted Phil’s parents, and they, as his friend had said, were incredibly kind and pleasantly welcomed him. They drove to Phil’s house, making slightly awkward small talk at the same time.  
When they arrived, Phil took Dan up to his bedroom, where they opened their English folders and continued to work on their project.  
“How are you finding my parents?” Phil asked.  
“They’re super cool. I really like them!” Dan replied happily.  
“That’s great to hear!” Phil smiled, equally happy.  
Dan looked around Phil’s room, suddenly realising that this was the house of the one and only AmazingPhil. He couldn’t believe it. He was Phil Lester’s best friend. Grinning, Dan looked down and continued working on the project.

It was the day that the friends were to give their presentation, and they were both shaking with anxiety. When they walked into the English classroom, Phil was trembling so hard that he accidentally dropped his books on his desk.  
“Are you okay?” Dan asked, forcing himself to calm down.  
“Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Totally fine,” Phil muttered, trying to persuade himself more than assure Dan.  
Dan knew he was not alright – Phil was shivering much more than what was healthy, and his breathing had sped up. His face was blushing.  
“Phil, I need you to breathe for me. It’s okay. It’s just a short presentation. Nothing more than a stupid class project. You're really prepared and I’ll be next to you to help you out. You're not alone. Just concentrate on your breathing,” Dan tried to soothe his friend. Phil tried to focus on slowing down his breathing, and, slowly, was able to calm himself down.  
“You're right. Thank you so much.”  
Dan smiled at him, giving Phil a small hug.  
“Let’s punch this presentation in the face,” he said. 

The project went smoothly and according to plan, and Dan and Phil got an A+ for their assignment.  
“We wouldn’t have gotten this if it wasn’t for you, Dan. You helped me stay relaxed. You're honestly such a lifesaver,” Phil said thankfully. Dan laughed.  
“No, you totally had a huge part to play in it – don’t worry about anything. You did an amazing job and I'm really proud of you.”  
Phil chuckled.  
“Thanks.”  
Dan suddenly felt compelled to say something.  
“Hey, Phil,” he said.  
“Yeah?” Phil replied.  
“I'm happy you're my friend.”  
Phil’s eyes lit up.  
“Same with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally finished this chapter today, whoops! I'm not sure how good this chapter is, so please leave me a comment for validation! Just kidding, you don't have to give me compliments, I really like constructive critisism too, so I'd love some feedback in the form of a comment. :)))) Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it.


	5. Dropout

Daniel Howell was in university, many years after he met AmazingPhil. It was strange coming back to university, but at school, he decided that he wanted to try and study law. Phil had moved away, which stressed Dan out, as he needed to make sure that Phil hadn’t lost his motivation. They had mostly gone out of contact, except for occasionally sending each other short messages on Facebook. Dan decided that if he kept living his new life, he and Phil would somehow get back together. And so, he blocked his thoughts out of his mind, and attempted to study law. Badly. 

It was his first year of university, and things weren’t going well. Dan realised how little his heart was in his work, and knew that he didn’t have anyone to motivate _him_ , either. The adult didn’t enjoy what he was doing, he had made basically no friends, and he was feeling extremely alone. Dan’s closest friend, in both his old life and his new life, was Philip Lester, and he was on the other side of the country. 

Dan was studying for an exam. He had procrastinated studying so much that it was the night before the test. He didn’t like this at all. Suddenly, something inside Dan snapped, like an elastic band that had slowly been stretched over the course of the year. He threw his papers and stationery on the ground, shaking violently.  
“I _hate_ this! It’s not interesting at _all_ , and it just makes me feel horrible! I can't do it! I'm not ready for the exam tomorrow!” he screamed to himself. Dan wasn’t angry. He wasn’t exactly sad, either. He was overwhelmed and stressed. His heart was thudding against his chest, ten times its usual speed. Dan’s breathing was uneven and coarse, due to the stream of tears leaving their marks on his cheeks.  
“I can't do this. I can't do this. I _can't_ do this,” he kept sobbing. Dan felt so alone. He didn’t have anyone. Except Phil. Grabbing his phone, Dan decided to text his only friend. 

Phil was about to turn on his camera to film a new video for his YouTube channel, when he received a notification on his phone. It was a text from his old school friend: Daniel Howell.  
_Hi, Phil. I know we haven’t talked for a while, but I really need to speak to someone, and you're basically the one friend I have. Please call me whenever you have the chance._  
Phil was shocked. What had happened that caused Dan to send him such an urgent message? Quickly, Phil dialed Dan’s number into his phone, and pressed the call button. It didn’t even ring once before Dan answered.  
“ _Phil_?” he asked.  
“Hi, Dan! Is everything okay?” Phil asked, aware of the oddly nasally way that Dan was speaking, almost as though he had been crying.  
“ _Yeah… yeah… everything’s f-fine_ ,” Dan’s voice quivered, before breaking. “ _No, that was a lie. I’m not okay at all, Phil. I’m studying law at university and I have no motivation_ _and I have my exam tomorrow and I haven’t done any studying and I feel so alone and I just hate it_!”  
Phil could hear the anxiety and stress in Dan’s voice, and wished he could put his arms around him.  
“It’s going to be okay, Dan. You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. You can drop out of university if it’s not working for you,” he said, trying to keep his voice as calm and steady as possible.  
“ _Y-you're right. I just don’t want to let anyone down. I'm the literal definition of a broke uni student and I hate it so much._ ”  
Phil closed his eyes for a few seconds, before coming to a conclusion.  
“I'm going to be catching a plane today to your town. I can't have you feeling like this. It’s going to be okay and I’m going to be able to hug you by the end of the night.”  
“ _Lord, thank you so much, Phil. You're the most amazing friend I could ever have._ ”  
Phil laughed. “Hang in there, Dan. I’m packing my bags now.”  
“ _Thank you_ ,” were Dan’s last words before he hung up. Smiling, Phil turned to throw some clothes and other essentials into a suitcase, booked a flight to Dan’s town, and headed to the airport. 

“ _Hang in there, Dan. I'm packing my bags now_ ,” Phil told Dan.  
“Thank you,” Dan said, absolutely relieved. He hung up his call. Trembling, he began to pick up his papers and books that he had scattered across the ground. Dan then went through some breathing exercises to calm himself down, and had a shower to clear his mind. After this, he called a taxi and was driven to the airport to meet Phil. 

A few hours passed, and Phil’s plane had landed. Dan looked up as the passengers from the flight began striding out of the doors to catch buses or meet up with family to go home. It had been many years since he had last seen Phil, and so he didn’t recognise the tall, raven-haired man that walked towards him until he spoke to him.  
“Hi, Dan!” Phil Lester grinned, pulling the amazed Dan into his arms.  
“Phil! You look really different! I almost didn’t recognise you!” Dan smiled shakily.  
“I've had a glow up!” Phil laughed. “Now, Dan, let’s head to your place.” 

Once at Dan’s apartment, Phil sat him down and grabbed his shoulders.  
“Are you okay?” he asked Dan, worry in his tone.  
Dan was unsure how to answer. After thinking over everything, he finally replied.  
“No. I'm so scared, I feel so alone, and I have had enough of law!” he exclaimed.  
“Listen to me, Dan,” Phil tilted his friend’s head up so that their eyes met. “It’s going to be alright. It’s just a stupid course, and if you hate it that much, then you can drop out. No one will judge you.”  
Dan broke down at that. Openly crying, he threw his arms around his best friend. Phil enveloped Dan in his own arms, letting his shirt soak up the tears streaming from Dan’s face. He whispered soothing words of encouragement every so often, attempting to make Dan feel better. It seemed to help, slightly.  
“You can't keep doing this, Dan. You need to drop out of university,” Phil sighed after a while. Dan pulled away from him.  
“You're right. It’s unhealthy for me. I need to do something else,” Dan sadly agreed.  
“I’ll be here for you the whole time. It’s going to be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School has started again, ughhhh. I really don't want it to stuff up my schedule because of all the homework etc. Let's hope! I'm sort of proud of this chapter - I think it's a lot better than the previous chapter. As usual, please leave a comment, it means so much! Thanks for reading!


	6. Moving in Together

Dan had dropped out of university. After he had sent off his letter, Dan realised how much of a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He also realised that he had absolutely nothing to do, and no one to do anything with. The young adult wanted to text Phil again, who had been living in a hotel for the past few days, but didn’t want to come across as needy or clingy.  
“Come on, Dan, just text him. Phil’s literally travelled to your town just to comfort you. It’ll be alright,” he muttered to himself, trying to calm down his irrational thoughts. It didn’t work. 

Dan needn’t have worried, however, as that night, Phil texted him to ask if he was okay. Taking a deep breath, Dan texted his friend everything that he was feeling. Phil told him that he was going to visit his house that day. A few moments later, he did.  
“Hi, Dan! How are you feeling?” Phil asked cheerfully.  
“Better, now that you’re here, Phil,” Dan replied, smiling slightly.  
Stretching his arms, Phil walked into Dan’s living room and made himself comfortable. He gestured for Dan to sit opposite him, almost as though he was the host and Dan was the guest. Not saying anything, Dan sat.  
“I’ve been thinking, Dan… I was wondering if you wanted to move in to my apartment with me. I’ve been feeling a bit alone this past year, and I know that you have been too, so if you want to move in, I’d happily let you come.” Phil looked down at his hands, almost embarrassed at offering such a thing. Dan, on the other hand, looked up, light filling his eyes properly for the first time in a year.  
Smiling joyfully, Dan replied, saying, “Of course I want to move in with you! That would be the most amazing opportunity ever! Thank you so much for asking me!”  
Phil looked at him, studying his face, as though to make sure that his friend wasn’t jesting. When he understood that Daniel was being serious, tears swelled up in his eyes.  
“Thank you, Dan. I honestly am so happy right now!” Phil choked, giving Dan a watery grin.  
Dan stood up, walked over to his best friend, and wrapped his arms around Phil. Leaning into his chest, Phil returned the hug.   
It was a month later, and Dan had successfully moved into Phil’s Manchester apartment. His bedroom was filled with his merchandise and items from his old house. Although he had only spent a few days there, Dan already felt more at home at this place than he had at the other one.  
Lying on his bed with a cup of hot chocolate, Dan’s head perked up when he heard his roommate’s voice in the other room. Wondering who he was talking to, Dan stood up and, knocking on the door, entered Phil’s room. What he saw shocked him.

“What are you doing in here?” Phil asked anxiously, quickly covering the camera that was facing the chair he was sitting on. Dan noticed this.  
“I was just wondering who you were talking to. Are you recording a video?” he questioned.  
Phil laughed nervously.  
“Yeah,” he said.  
“What for?” Dan queried, genuinely interested, but also slightly worried by Phil’s reaction. He guessed that it was one of Phil’s old – no – new YouTube videos, although he didn’t want his friend to know his thoughts.  
“Oh, just for my YouTube channel. It’s pretty small, but I find it fun, so, yeah,” Phil smiled.  
Dan grinned at his friend.  
“That’s amazing, Phil!” he beamed.  
Phil laughed again, though this time less nervously.  
“Thanks. My username is actually _AmazingPhil_ , so it’s funny that you said that!”  
Dan chuckled along with him, and all of the tension in the room faded away.  
“That’s an awesome name! Why did you want to hide your channel from me?” Dan asked, concerned.  
“I don’t know. I suppose I thought that you’d judge me, or something. I’m not very popular on YouTube, and I probably will never be, so I guess that I expected you to tell me I’m wasting my time. I don’t know,” Phil repeated, slightly flustered.  
Dan laid a supporting hand on his shoulder.  
“You're going to go places, Phil. I can't tell you how I know this, but I do.”  
Phil shrugged, almost as though he didn’t believe his friend.  
“Thanks, Dan. I hope that’s the case. I really enjoy doing YouTube, but I'm not even sure how good my videos are. Hardly anyone watches them.”  
Daniel, still pretending to not have seen any of Phil’s videos before, asked, “Do you want to show me some? I’ll tell you how good they are!”  
Phil obliged.

After watching a few videos, Dan lifted his head.  
“Lord, Phil, these videos are so good! Please don’t stop doing YouTube – if you keep making videos like this, then you’ll get a lot more popular! I can feel it.”  
“Ah, thank you, Dan,” Phil smiled. Dan could tell that his raven-haired friend still didn’t fully believe him.  
“Look, how much does it even matter if you become famous or not? Creating these videos make you feel happy, so why stop? If you put your heart into these videos, it will come across on screen, and more people will watch. But don’t focus on the amount of people watching, and instead focus on what makes you happy.” Dan said.  
Phil nodded.  
“You're right, Dan. As usual!” he smiled. “I'm going to do that from now on. Who cares about how many people watch my videos?”  
“Exactly.” Dan said assertively.  
“You know what, Dan, you should make a YouTube channel. Maybe we could even collaborate on some videos! I can see the headlines now: Dan and Phil, the iconic duo! That would be amazing!” Phil told him dreamily.  
“It would be great,” his brown-haired friend nodded. 

That night, Dan lay in his bed, thinking about his future. What would he do? Should he create this YouTube account and see what would happen, or should he pursue something else at university? With these thoughts rolling through his head, Dan fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this story for this long! I still can't believe I'm sticking with this posting schedule for so long! I've had a really busy week and weekend, and my birthday's on Wednesday, but I'm going to keep posting every Sunday! Please leave a comment telling me what you think of this story so far! Thanks again for reading, I really appreciate it!


	7. danisnotonfire

Dan woke up the next day, and made a decision. He would make his own YouTube channel.  
“Honestly,” he said to himself, “Phil’s probably motivating me more than I am motivating him.”  
Chuckling to himself about the irony of the situation, Dan walked out of his small, but comfortable, bedroom, and arrived in the kitchen. Pouring himself some of his cereal, he groaned when he saw that there was very little left.  
“Phil!” he shouted, “Have you been stealing my cereal _again_?”  
“What? Um… no! Of course not!” Phil’s voice called back at him, dripping with lies.  
“When do you even eat it?” Dan exclaimed.  
“Look, three o’clock in the morning snacks are important, okay?” Phil yelled desperately.  
“You have your own, though!” Dan laughed.  
Phil didn’t reply, though both of them were loudly expressing their mirth.  
“At least you still have some!” Phil supposed.  
“True.” 

When Phil had sat next to Dan at the breakfast bar, Dan told him about his decision to make a YouTube channel.  
“Yes, Dan! That’s an awesome idea! I'm so happy for you! What’s your first video going to be?” Phil asked excitedly.  
Dan hadn’t thought about this yet. “Maybe just a video of me explaining who I am and what I plan to do with this channel. I'm not sure, though.”  
“I think that’s a great idea. Short, simple, and straight to the point. A little introduction to your channel. I support this!” Phil smiled encouragingly.  
“Thanks, Phil,” Dan replied gratefully. “I’ll probably film it now.”  
“Do you need any help?” Phil questioned, moving to rise when Dan stood up.  
“It’s okay. I’d like to do this by myself, just like you,” Dan said, appreciative for the gesture, though.  
“All right. I’ll be around if you need anything,” Phil reminded his roommate. Thanking him, Dan left the kitchen to film his video. 

Five hundred subscribers later, Dan had posted several videos, which each got about a hundred views. This was an enormous amount for him, and he and Phil celebrated each time one of them got a channel or video milestone. Life was good. Phil was happy, so Dan was happy too. The two of them had done several videos together, and this pleased their audience greatly. Overall, nothing was really going badly.

Dan and Phil’s channels began to grow together, and they now both had approximately seven hundred thousand subscribers. The best friends were absolutely ecstatic about this, and, as Phil had jokingly suggested, they were becoming to actually be known as an iconic duo: Dan and Phil. Dan had begun to forget about the time travelling incident, and was instead learning to enjoy his new life with his idol. It was such a surreal experience that Dan had also completely forgotten about the threat of the laboratory experts finding him. This had turned out to be a large problem, because, with his ever-growing YouTube channel, some of the people tracking him had found the videos.

 **** _Many, many kilometres away from Dan and Phil’s apartment_  
“I think I’ve found something. Look,” a lab expert called, showing the leader of the hunt his computer. Many of the scientists were using a part of their secret laboratory in the Deep Woods to find the man who had caused them so much grief. So far, they had been unsuccessful. Until this day.  
The head scientist leant over her employee’s shoulder to see the screen. It was a video of a brown-haired man talking to the camera in his bedroom.  
“This man certainly looks like the culprit who stole the time machine. It could very well be him. We must find him and take him to jail. He has trespassed and stolen. That is unacceptable,” she stated bluntly.  
“Exactly. Can we somehow track this man’s house down?” the man questioned.  
“We can try,” the leader said, filled with determination. 

 **** _Back at Dan and Phil’s apartment_  
“DAN! Oh my lord, Dan! You have to wake up now!” Phil screamed, jumping with joy, shaking his friend vigorously.  
“Wha-?” Dan mumbled into his pillow.  
“You’ve reached one million subscribers! A _million_ people are following you! This is AMAZING!” Phil announced, an enormous smile on his face.  
Dan shot up in bed. His curly, unkempt hair was a mess around his shocked face. Trembling violently, he grabbed his phone and saw that his subscriber count was, indeed, over one million.  
“How?” he whispered to himself, too amazed to speak properly.  
“Congratulations!” Phil beamed, hugging his best friend tightly.  
“Thank you!” Dan exclaimed, a few tears falling down his flushed cheeks.  
“We have to celebrate! I’ve already ordered us a red velvet cake for tonight, and prepared some anime episodes to watch right now! We can't let this occasion just pass by!” Phil said.  
Dan laughed, feeling incredibly overwhelmed after what had happened within the minute that he had woken up.  
“Sounds good, Phil! I’ll have a shower and then we can watch anime!”  
And so they did. 

A few months, later, Phil’s channel had reached one million subscribers, too. He and Dan had another celebration then, which was extremely enjoyable. The lab experts had not found their apartment yet, although Dan was unaware of the search even happening. He was busy making sure that his best friend had the best day that he could possibly have.  
“Thanks so much for always being there for me, Dan. I wouldn’t have gotten to this milestone without you supporting me,” Phil thanked Dan.  
“It’s no problem! I wouldn’t have even started my YouTube channel if I hadn’t known you, so, I suppose, in a way, we have helped each other out!” Dan grinned.  
“Thinking about it that way really puts things into perspective. Out of all the people in the world I could have met, it was you. Wow. If I had met anyone else, this wouldn’t have happened. That’s truly amazing,” Phil said, awed.  
“Well, I mean, you probably would have still reached a million subscribers,” Dan reasoned, knowing that Phil had done that in his old life.  
“Maybe, but I wouldn’t nearly have been as happy as I am now. And, I guess, the reason we live is to try and be as happy as possible,” Phil reasoned.  
“Yeah, but someone else would be able to help you too,” Dan said modestly.  
“Just shut up and take the compliment!” Phil chuckled, lightly punching his best friend on the arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to "The Other Side" from The Greatest Showman on repeat whilst writing this lmaooo. So yeah I hope no lyrics ended up accidentally going into the story! Thanks for reading this chapter - we only have three more to go! As usual, please leave a comment! Thank you!


	8. A Change in History

“Dan! Look at this!” Phil called, having seen something interesting on the news. Walking in from the kitchen, Dan sat down next to his friend on the couch.  
“Breaking news: A prototype of a time machine has been created in a science laboratory. The lab in question’s location is unknown so that no one comes to investigate this remarkable machine, but be rest assured that soon, you may be able to own your very own time travelling device,” the news reporter announced happily.  
Dan’s head jerked up. Memories flooded into his mind. After so many years full of so many new situations, he was back in the present.   
“Wow,” he whispered. Phil, thinking that Dan was talking about the invention of the time machine, said,  
“I know, right? It’s so amazing! I can't believe technology has advanced this far!”  
“Yeah… whoa…” Dan smiled.  
“We have to buy it when it goes on sale! Think of all the embarrassing moments in our childhood that we could erase with that machine!” Phil grinned.  
Dan nodded, speechless. 

An hour or two later, Dan was thinking. Reflecting. Going over everything that had happened over the years that never should have happened. He thought about his previous life. He thought about his new life. He thought about how there had been two versions of himself living two versions of his life at the same time. He thought about the good parts of both lives, and the bad parts. His thoughts were spiraling into a whirlpool of possibilities, and he wondered whether he deserved any of the fame or love that he had obtained in his life. He realised how creepy it was to find out where his hero went to school and become friends with him. Had he really affected Phil’s life at all? Was all of this for absolutely nothing?  
A knock at his bedroom door drew Dan out of his thoughts.  
“Dan? Are you all right? Ever since the whole time machine thing, you’ve been acting… different,” Phil said from outside Dan’s room.  
“Um, yeah. I’m okay. I’m okay,” Dan replied.  
Without seeking permission, Phil walked into the bedroom, and sat next to his friend’s shaking form on the bed.  
“No, you're not. Something’s wrong. Do you want to tell me what happened?”  
Dan shook his head.   
“You’d never believe me. You’d hate me,” he muttered.  
Phil’s eyes filled with empathy.  
“Dan, I’d never hate you. No matter what. Surely you know that?” he asked kindly.  
“No, no, you don’t understand. I- I- I can't,” Dan stuttered.  
“Dan. Look at me,” Phil ordered sternly. He placed his hands on either side of Dan’s face and moved his head so that their eyes met. “I could never hate you. You’ve done _so_ much for me. Every time I’ve doubted my abilities, you have been there for me to help me feel better. I probably would have quit YouTube by now if it wasn’t for you.” Ignoring Dan’s sob at these words, Phil continued, “Because I met you, Dan, I can't imagine ever stopping making videos. You’re honestly a part of me at this point.”  
Dan gave his roommate a watery grin. His goal of going back in time had been achieved.  
“Thank you, Phil. But I don’t think you’ll ever understand. I’m probably the worst person you’ve ever met.”  
Phil was about to contradict Dan, when the two friends heard something. 

 **** _Many, many kilometres away from Dan and Phil’s apartment  
_ “Daniel Howell. That’s his name,” the head scientist read.  
“How do we find the house?” one of the lab experts asked.  
“By asking around and doing research. It shouldn’t be too hard. We are of high status, after all,” the leader said.  
“True,’ the employee agreed.  
Soon, a team had been formed to find Daniel Howell’s house.  
“Another YouTuber called Philip Lester lives with him,” one of the scientists told the leader. She wrote this down in a notebook.  
“Try to find him, as well. He will have information about Howell.” 

“Miss! I’ve found something! This house plan matches the interior of Howell’s apartment!” someone called. The leader was over to his computer in an instant.  
“This looks just like Howell’s bedroom. We must travel there immediately.”  
So, they packed a small bag of supplies and took a plane to their town. 

Wasting no time, Camilla Carmen, the head scientist, walked out of the airport with a small group of scientists behind her. They wore identical, spotless, white suits and had briefcases clasped in their right hands. Camilla had a gun attached to her belt, which she only would use if Daniel Howell put up a fight. They strode through the streets and arrived at Dan’s possible house. Dramatically climbing up the stairs, they were in front of the door. Camilla Carmen raised her fist, and knocked three times on the door. 

 ** _Back with Dan and Phil  
_** Three loud, clear knocks were heard on Dan and Phil’s apartment door. The two roommates looked at each other, and Phil stood up and slowly opened the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't as long as I would like it, but the next one will be longer. I'm writing this to procrastinate doing homework, but what's new?! I'm wearing the Dan and Phil lion hat, and it's soooo comfortable! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading! Please comment if this story's worthy hahahaha - we're nearing the end of it by now!


	9. Understanding

“Is this the house of Daniel Howell?” a curt voice asked before the door had even fully opened. After Phil had opened the door, he saw a tall lady with straight ice-blonde hair and grey eyes standing there. His eyes drifted down to her belt, where a very real gun was stored. Fear filled his whole body when he also saw a group of scientists standing behind her, looking incredibly intimidating.  
“Well?” the leader asked.  
Phil looked behind him and saw a rather pale Dan staring back at him. Breathing deeply, Dan nodded at his friend. Unsure of what was happening, Phil turned back to the person and spoke.  
“Yes. He’s here. Who are you? Why are you here?” he questioned, surprisingly calmly considering that his intestines were performing gymnastics routines inside of him.  
“My name is Camilla Carmen, the leader of the hunt. Howell has done something very illegal. My crew and I have been tracking him down for many years. It doesn’t surprise me that he hasn’t told you what he’s done. He’s probably ashamed. Now, please let us enter,” the woman instructed.  
Shocked, Phil moved aside as Camilla strode past him. Dan was visibly trembling, and Phil had absolutely no idea what was happening. What had Dan done? Was this to do with what he had said before? 

Dan knew this day would happen. He had known it since he had first travelled in that time machine so many years ago. He had known that the scientists would find him. He had known that from the start. He hated doing illegal activities. And why did he steal that time machine? Was it so that he could make his favourite YouTuber, Phil Lester, happy? Or was it so that he would still be able to watch _AmazingPhil_ and have more entertainment? Was this ever really about Phil? Of course not. It was about himself and his own selfish needs.  
 _It was all about you. It was all about you. It was all about you. You. You. You. You. You. You._ Dan’s mind mocked him, wrenching all the guilt that had built up in the back of his mind over the years into his whole body. His stomach had turned into a billion butterflies, and sweat had drenched his face and hands. Breathing as though he had just run a marathon, he looked up at Phil, who was staring at him with astonishment. He saw the tall lady walk towards him, fingering her gun, and his mind was wrenched back to his first day in the past, when the angry-looking principal had yelled at him. Dan tensed his body, knowing that he deserved whatever punishment she gave him.  
“Daniel Howell. I am sure you are aware of why we are here,” Camilla said, giving him a very fake smile. It wasn’t a question. Nevertheless, Dan replied quietly.  
“Yes.”  
“Due to the crime of stealing a very expensive and precious time machine prototype, we are placing you under arrest. If you come quietly, this will be much easier,” she said, taking her gun out of her belt as a threat. 

Phil was amazed. Dan had stolen the time machine? When? Why had Dan not told him? He noticed that his friend was avoiding eye contact with him, and wondered what had caused him to do such a thing. However, when Camilla Carmen stated that Dan was under arrest, he pushed those thoughts aside and spoke up.  
“Wait. Please, don’t take him. I have no idea what is happening and, being his roommate and best friend, I feel like I deserve to know.”  
Phil saw tears well up in Dan’s eyes, though he could see that his friend was determined not to let any spill.  
Camilla looked sternly at him, though her eyes softened slightly.  
“All right. Daniel can explain to you exactly what he has done. Whilst he is doing that, he can also explain to us _why_.”  
Phil looked sympathetically at Dan, trying to give him some strength. It seemed to work, as his brown-haired friend took a deep breath, and began to talk. 

“I suppose it all started today, but in another time. I didn’t have much money, and I was watching the news, and saw that a time machine had been invented. I decided to scroll through my phone, and I saw that my favourite YouTuber, _AmazingPhil_ , had uploaded a new video, called _Bye, Guys._ He said that he was quitting YouTube because he had no one in his life to motivate him to continue making videos. I didn’t want him to stop. So, I put matters into my own hands, and stole the time machine to become friends with him as a child. And, well, that’s how I met you. I found your school, and made friends with you. I didn’t want you to stop making videos. I guess my plan worked, but the only reason it happened was because of my selfish desires. I'm not surprised if you hate me now – honestly, I deserve it, but I didn’t know what else to do. I'm sorry. I’m so, so, sorry, Phil.” 

Dan’s attempts to not cry were failing miserably, and salty tears were pouring down his cheeks. Phil was speechless. He wasn’t expecting this at all. Dan was distraught, and Phil had so many emotions going through him. None of them were anger, but instead shock and amazement. His best friend had been planning to be a part of his life before Phil even knew Dan existed. Dan was looking him expectantly, as though preparing himself for a look of anger and disgust. When he realised that Phil was not going to do such a thing, he was filled with disbelief. Then, Phil spoke.  
“I don’t think we should have a conversation about this now, Dan, but please understand that I don’t hate you. It’ll be okay. Trust me.” He then turned to Camilla. “Please, Camilla. Dan has done so much for me. I wouldn’t have gone nearly as far in life if it wasn’t for him, no matter what he thinks. Please don’t arrest him. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”  
Camilla turned away from him and conversed quietly with her fellow scientists. After a few minutes, she turned back to Dan.  
“All right. We have decided to change your punishment. You will not be taken to jail. However, we have to fine you £100000 for what you did. Due to how much you have done for Philip Lester, it would not be right for you two to be separated. Please consider this to be a warning. We will leave now.”  
Inclining her head to Phil, Camilla Carmen led her team out of the building, closing the door loudly behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter left! I'm really happy with how this one turned out - please feel free to tell me what you think with a review! Thanks so much for reading this far! The Harry Potter series that I've been planning has been going really well, so I hope to start posting the first book maybe a few weeks after this one is finished (I want to finish it before I post so that I can update a few times a week or so)! Anyway, stay tuned for the last chapter next Sunday!


	10. Forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! I usually refrain from notes at the start, but this chapter's really short (It flowed better that way!) so I'm sorry about that! Anyway, please enjoy!

As soon as the scientists had left, Dan walked over to the living room and collapsed on the couch. He shook violently against the pillows, grabbing a blanket and covering his body in it, as though trying to block out the world. He pressed his face into the sofa, hiding his tears from his roommate. Phil didn’t know what to do. All of the events of the past hour were still flooding through his mind. The black-haired man had an urge to comfort Dan, but he wasn’t sure whether Dan was able to face him yet. Phil decided to give his friend some space, so he went to the kitchen. He made two drinks: a hot chocolate and a coffee. Taking a packet of cookies with him, he brought the collection into the living room. Placing the food on the table and handing his weeping roommate the hot chocolate, Phil silently sat next to Dan, allowing him to be the first one to talk.  
About five minutes later, Dan did. 

“I’m so sorry, Phil. Oh gosh, you have no idea how horrible I feel. I understand if you hate me now. I’ll move out if you want me to. I’ll explain everything in a video for our whole fanbase to see if you want me to. I’ll do anything you ask. I know it won't be enough, but I want to try as hard as I can to make it right.”  
Phil sighed. He looked at his quivering friend, and placed his arm around him.  
“Dan, I've _told_ you. I'm not mad at you. I never could get mad at you. You're such an amazing person and I don’t think it’s scientifically possible for me to hate you. _I understand_. If I was in your shoes, I would probably do the same thing. Everyone forgives you, except yourself. Please, Dan, find it in your heart to let go. It’s going to be okay, even if you don’t think it will right now. _You're okay_.”  
These words obviously affected Dan. Trembling aggressively, he finally looked up, straight into Phil’s startlingly blue eyes.  
“I'm not sure how long it will take me to forgive myself, Phil, or if I ever truly will, but I really appreciate your words. I’m a lot more at peace than I was before. Thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be nowhere near as happy with my life. You deserve the world. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you,” he whispered.  
“It’s all right, Dan. I’ll be here for you whenever you need me, even if you don’t realise you do,” Phil replied kindly, embracing his best friend.

After a few minutes, Phil turned to Dan again.  
“Hey. How’d you like to finish that hot chocolate over a movie? It’ll make you feel better!”  
Hesitating slightly, Dan nodded at last.  
“Good. I’ll get it set up. You stay here, and get comfortable,” Phil smiled, draping another blanket over Dan’s shoulders. He then chose a random movie, and the two of them watched it for the rest of the night. 

“You're amazing, Phil,” Dan grinned, finally becoming genuinely happy.  
“I know – that’s why my YouTube’s called _AmazingPhil_!” Phil joked.  
Dan chuckled.  
“True.”  
Before the two of them retired for the evening, Phil tapped Dan on the shoulder.  
“Hey, Dan?” he said.  
“Yeah?” his friend questioned.  
After a pause, Phil spoke.  
“Your plan worked. I'm still doing YouTube, and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. That’s because of _you_. You’ve made a huge difference by coming into my life, and you’ve taught me so many things, and I never want you to think otherwise.”  
Dan smiled softly at him.  
“You're such a great friend,” he said simply.  
After giving each other a hug, the two friends walked into their bedrooms, and departed into the land of dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, that's the end of this story! I really hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a comment - I actually appreciate it so much! Thanks so much for reading the whole story (assuming you didn't skip to the last chapter)!!!!!! I'm hoping to start posting the first chapter of my Harry Potter fanfiction in a few weeks, so be ready for that! Once again, thank you so much for reading, and I really hope you have a great day! Anyway, this is Jemma, signing out!


End file.
